CN115243929B

CN115243929B - Seat control device for setting driving posture and method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN115243929B
Application number: CN202180018216.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 大坪智范; 上村裕树; 平田义人
Original assignee: Mazda Motor Corp
Current assignee: Mazda Motor Corp
Priority date: 2020-04-01
Filing date: 2021-02-15
Publication date: 2023-11-03
Anticipated expiration: 2041-02-15
Also published as: EP4129755A1; EP4129755A4; JP2021160643A; US20230166637A1; CN115243929A; JP7484346B2; WO2021199729A1

Abstract

The present invention provides a driving posture setting seat control device and a driving posture setting seat control method, wherein body type information representing a body type is input, posture range information corresponding to the input body type range is extracted from body type posture correspondence information which mutually associates the body type information with posture range information representing a posture range of a vehicle seat corresponding to a driving posture range, and the posture of the vehicle seat is controlled so that the posture of the vehicle seat is within the posture range of the vehicle seat represented by the extracted posture range information.

Description

Seat control device for setting driving posture and method thereof

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a driving posture setting seat control device and a driving posture setting seat control method that control the posture of a vehicle seat so that an appropriate driving posture (driving position) can be achieved.

Background

In general, an appropriate driving posture (driving position) of an occupant is recommended for safe, and comfortable driving of a vehicle. The driving posture can be set (adjusted) by adjusting the inclination of the seatback, the position of the seat cushion in the front-rear direction, the position (height) of the seat cushion in the up-down direction, and the inclination of the seat surface of the seat cushion. When the occupant drives the vehicle, the occupant adjusts a part or all of these according to his/her body shape, and adjusts the driving posture. As this driving posture, for example, patent literature 1 exists.

The vehicle seat control device disclosed in patent document 1 includes a seat drive unit that adjusts a position and a posture of a seat, a storage unit that stores seat information indicating the position and the posture of the seat in a manual driving state, and a control unit that drives the seat drive unit based on the seat information read from the storage unit. In this vehicle seat control device, by storing the seat information adjusted in accordance with the body shape of the occupant in the storage unit, the position and orientation of the seat can be reproduced from the seat information when the occupant gets on the vehicle, and the time and effort for manual adjustment of the occupant can be saved.

However, the appropriate driving posture is achieved by a prescribed sequence such as the following: the seat back is tilted so that the abdomen is free from discomfort, the heel is set at a position where the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal are easily depressed, the seat cushion position in the front-rear direction is set to a natural position where the feet are free from discomfort, and the seat cushion position (height) in the up-down direction is set to about 1/4 of the level where the hood can be seen. Therefore, when the occupant adjusts the driving posture, for example, the predetermined order is not known, the predetermined order is not performed, or the like, and thus the occupant may not be able to adjust the driving posture appropriately. In the vehicle seat control device disclosed in patent document 1, if the occupant does not have the seat information stored in the storage unit, the position and posture of the seat cannot be reproduced, and there is a possibility that the occupant cannot adjust to such an appropriate driving posture. The position and posture of the seat based on the seat information stored in the storage unit may not be an appropriate driving posture.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2017-136898

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a driving posture setting seat control device and a driving posture setting seat control method that can automatically achieve an appropriate driving posture according to the body shape of an occupant.

A driving posture setting seat control device and a driving posture setting seat control method according to the present invention are configured to input body type information indicating a body type, extract posture range information corresponding to the input body type information from body type posture range correspondence information in which the body type information and posture range information indicating a posture range of a vehicle seat corresponding to a driving posture range are associated with each other, and control the posture of the vehicle seat so that the posture of the vehicle seat falls within a posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the extracted posture range information. The present invention provides a seat control device for setting a driving posture and a seat control method for setting a driving posture, which can automatically realize an appropriate driving posture according to the body shape of an occupant.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving posture setting seat control device according to an embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a view for explaining the 2 nd input unit of the driving posture setting seat control device.

Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the 3 rd input unit of the seat control device for driving posture setting.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a body posture range correspondence information table stored in the driving posture setting seat control device.

Fig. 5 is a view for explaining the respective joint angles related to the driving posture of the occupant.

Fig. 6 is a view for explaining the range of crotch points as viewed from the vehicle width direction.

Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the seat control device for setting the driving posture related to the posture control of the vehicle seat.

Detailed Description

One or more embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. In the drawings, the same reference numerals denote the same components, and their descriptions are omitted appropriately. In the present specification, the reference numerals with their suffixes omitted are used for general description, and the reference numerals with their suffixes are used for the case of specifying individual components.

The driving posture setting seat control device of the embodiment is a device that controls the posture of the vehicle seat so that an appropriate driving posture (driving position) can be achieved. The driving posture setting seat control device is provided with: a vehicle seat for a vehicle; a correspondence information storage unit that stores body type posture range correspondence information in which body type information indicating a body type and posture range information indicating a posture range of the vehicle seat corresponding to a driving posture range are associated with each other; a seat driving unit that moves the posture of the vehicle seat; an input unit for inputting the body type information; and a posture control unit that extracts posture range information corresponding to the body type information input to the input unit from the body type posture range correspondence information stored in the correspondence information storage unit, and controls the seat driving unit so that the posture of the vehicle seat is within the posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the extracted posture range information. Hereinafter, this driving posture setting seat control device will be described in more detail.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving posture setting seat control device according to an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a view for explaining the 2 nd input unit of the driving posture setting seat control device. Fig. 2A is a perspective view and fig. 2B is a side view. Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the 3 rd input unit of the seat control device for driving posture setting. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a body posture range correspondence information table stored in the driving posture setting seat control device. Fig. 5 is a view for explaining the respective joint angles related to the driving posture of the occupant. Fig. 6 is a view for explaining the range of crotch points as viewed from the vehicle width direction.

In the following description, terms such as "front", "rear", "right" and "left" refer to directions of the vehicle when the traveling direction of the vehicle is "front".

As shown in fig. 1, the driving posture setting seat control device D of the embodiment includes, for example, an input unit 1, a measurement unit 2, a control processing unit 3, a storage unit 4, and a seat driving unit 5. In the example shown in fig. 1, the driving posture setting seat control device D further includes a rear view mirror 6, a steering device 7, a Head Up Display (HUD) 8, and an audio device 9.

The seat driving unit 5 is connected to the control processing unit 3, and moves the posture of the vehicle seat ST under the control of the control processing unit 3. The vehicle seat ST is a device for seating an occupant, which is used in a vehicle, and includes a seat cushion SC forming a seat surface, a seat back SB attached at a lower end (one end) thereof to a rear end (the other end) of the seat cushion SC and serving as a backrest, and a pillow-shaped headrest HR attached to an upper end (the other end) of the seat back SB, as shown in fig. 2, for example. The seat drive unit 5 is incorporated in the vehicle seat ST. In the present embodiment, the seat driving unit 5 includes, for example: an electric backrest inclination adjustment mechanism 51 for adjusting the inclination of the seat backrest SB; an electric slide mechanism 52 for adjusting the position (front-rear position) of the seat cushion SC in the front-rear direction; an electric lifting mechanism 53 for adjusting the position (up-down position, height) of the seat cushion SC in the up-down direction; and an electric tilting mechanism 54 for adjusting the inclination of the seat surface of the seat cushion SC by adjusting the height of the front end (one end) of the seat cushion SC in the up-down direction. Such an electromotive backrest reclining mechanism 51, sliding mechanism 52, lifting mechanism 53, and reclining mechanism 54 are formed of known conventional units, and are disclosed in, for example, japanese patent application laid-open publication No. 2011-79472, japanese patent application laid-open publication No. 2019-172016, japanese patent application laid-open publication No. 2006-218882, and the like. The inclination of the seatback SB is represented by an angle between a horizontal plane (for example, a floor surface of a vehicle) having the vertical direction as a normal line and an extending direction extending in the substantially height direction of the seatback SB. The inclination of the seating surface is represented by an angle formed between the horizontal surface and the seating surface.

The input unit 1 is the following: the control processing unit 3 is connected to, for example, an instruction to move the posture of the vehicle seat ST (an instruction to adjust the posture of the vehicle seat ST), various instructions (various instructions) such as an instruction to store the posture of the vehicle seat ST adjusted (controlled) according to the body shape of the occupant, and various data required for operating the driving posture setting seat control device D, such as body shape information indicating the body shape of the occupant, are input to the driving posture setting seat control device D. The body shape of the occupant is represented by, for example, a height, and in the present embodiment, the body shape information is the height. In the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 3, the input unit 1 includes a 1 st input unit 11, a 2 nd input unit 12, and a 3 rd input unit 13.

The 1 st input unit 11 is a device for inputting various data such as the body type information. The 1 st input unit 11 may be configured as a plurality of switches including, for example, a number key, but in the present embodiment, is a cylindrical rotary table switch that is rotatable about an axis and pushable in an axial direction, and is disposed, for example, in a center console that separates a driver's seat from a passenger seat in a vehicle interior. In this dial switch, by rotating the dial switch, the numerical value displayed on the HUD8 (or the center display (not shown)) increases or decreases according to the rotation direction (for example, the numerical value increases by rotating clockwise, and the numerical value decreases by rotating counterclockwise), and the numerical value displayed on the HUD8 (or the center display) is determined by pushing the dial switch, and is input to the driving posture setting seat control device D.

The 2 nd input unit 12 is a device for inputting an instruction to move the posture of the vehicle seat ST. In the present embodiment, for example, as shown in fig. 2, the 2 nd input unit 12 includes a seat back switch (SB switch) 121 for inputting an instruction to adjust the inclination of the seat back SB, and a seat cushion switch (SC switch) 122 for inputting instructions to adjust the front-rear position, the up-down position, and the inclination of the seat surface of the seat cushion SC, respectively, and is disposed on the lower side surface of the vehicle seat ST so as to simulate the side view shape of the vehicle seat ST by the SB switch 121 and the SC switch 122. The SB switch 121 is configured to tilt in the substantially front-rear direction with the lower end portion as a rotation axis. The SC switch 122 is configured to tilt the front end and the rear end in the substantially vertical direction with the substantially central portion as a rotation axis, and to move in the front-rear direction.

The 3 rd input unit 13 is a device that inputs an instruction to store the posture of the vehicle seat ST adjusted (controlled) according to the body shape of the occupant. In the present embodiment, for example, as shown in fig. 3, the 3 rd input unit 13 includes a SET switch 131 for performing a storage process for storing the current posture of the vehicle seat ST in the storage unit 4, and a plurality of selection switches 132 for designating a storage area of the storage unit 4 for storing the posture of the vehicle seat ST, and is disposed on the lower side surface of the vehicle seat ST. In the example shown in fig. 3, the selection switch 132 includes two selection switches, i.e., a 1 st selection switch 132-1 and a 2 nd selection switch 132-2.

The measuring unit 2 is a device for measuring the eye height of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat ST. The eye height is measured from a predetermined reference position, for example, a position of a floor surface of the vehicle, a seat surface position of the seat cushion SC, or a crotch point position corresponding to a posture of the vehicle seat ST. In the present embodiment, the measuring unit 2 includes, for example, an eye height data acquiring unit 21 and an eye height processing unit 34 (22). The eye height data acquisition unit 21 is connected to the control processing unit 3, and acquires predetermined data for measuring the eye height of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat ST in accordance with the control of the control processing unit 3. In the present embodiment, the eye height processing unit 34 (22) is functionally configured in the control processing unit 3 by executing a control processing program described later, and obtains the eye height of the occupant by processing the predetermined data acquired by the eye height data acquisition unit 21.

For example, the eye-height data acquisition unit 21 includes a camera that generates an image of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat ST, and a range finder that measures a distance to the occupant seated in the vehicle seat ST, and is disposed, for example, on a side of the center display (not shown). The eye height processing unit 34 (22) obtains the eye height of the occupant based on the image of the occupant generated by the camera and the distance to the occupant measured by the range finder. The distance measuring instrument transmits an infrared pulse, receives reflected light of the infrared pulse reflected by the occupant, and measures a distance based on a so-called TOF (Time of flight) time from a transmission timing of the infrared pulse to a reception timing of the reflected light. The eye height processing unit 34 (22) extracts an eye white portion from a predetermined image area of the image of the occupant, which is assumed to be reflected on the face of the occupant, generated by the camera, and obtains a pixel position of the eye white portion by image processing such as a white filter, and obtains an actual length of a subject to be imaged in 1 pixel from a distance to the occupant measured by the range finder, an optical characteristic (for example, imaging magnification) of an imaging optical system of the camera, and the like, and obtains an eye height of the occupant from an actual height of a lower end portion of the image generated by the camera, the pixel position of the eye white portion, and an actual length of the subject to be imaged in the 1 pixel. The actual height of the lower end portion of the image generated by the camera is obtained in advance from the optical characteristics of the imaging optical system in the camera, the imaging direction (optical axis direction), and the like, and stored in the storage unit 4. The predetermined image area is obtained in advance from, for example, the arrangement position of the camera, the arrangement position of the vehicle seat ST, the optical characteristics of the imaging optical system of the camera, the imaging direction thereof, and the like, and stored in the storage unit 4. Alternatively, for example, the eye height data acquisition unit 21 may include a so-called stereo camera instead of the camera and the range finder. The stereo camera generates an image of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat ST, and measures a distance to the occupant seated in the vehicle seat ST. Alternatively, for example, the eye-height data acquisition unit 21 includes a marker of known dimensions (sizes) and a camera that generates an image of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat ST and the marker. The marks are provided at portions that can be imaged by the camera, for example, at the side portions of the headrest HR, even when the occupant is seated in the vehicle seat ST, and the camera is arranged to image the face of the occupant and the marks from obliquely forward directions. The eye height processing unit 34 (22) extracts an eye portion and the mark from a predetermined image region in the image of the occupant generated by the camera, obtains the pixel position of the eye portion and the number of pixels in which the mark is mapped, obtains the actual length of the subject mapped in 1 pixel from the number of pixels in which the mark is mapped and the size of the mark, and obtains the eye height of the occupant from the actual height of the lower end portion of the image generated by the camera, the pixel position of the eye portion, and the actual length of the subject mapped in the 1 pixel.

The mirror 6 includes, for example, a pair of left and right door mirrors (or side mirrors, etc.) connected to the control processing unit 3 and configured to be able to electrically adjust (control) the mirror surface in accordance with the control of the control processing unit 3. Such a rearview mirror 6 capable of electrically adjusting the mirror surface angle is composed of a known conventional unit, and is disclosed in, for example, japanese patent application laid-open publication 2016-130130, japanese patent application laid-open publication 2011-102066, and the like.

The steering device 7 is a mechanism for steering a steered wheel, and includes a steering wheel, a steering shaft coupled to the steering wheel, a steering angle sensor for detecting a steering angle generated by the steering shaft by an operation of the steering wheel, and a steering angle driving mechanism for applying a steering angle to the steered wheel based on the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor, wherein the steering shaft includes: a tilting mechanism connected to the control processing unit 3 for moving the steering wheel up and down electrically under the control of the control processing unit 3; and a telescopic mechanism connected to the control processing unit 3, for electrically moving the steering wheel back and forth under the control of the control processing unit 3. Such an electromotive tilting mechanism and telescopic mechanism are composed of a known conventional unit, and are disclosed in, for example, japanese patent application laid-open publication 2020-19327, japanese patent application laid-open publication 2019-23050, and the like.

The HUD8 is the following device: an instrument panel disposed in front of the driver's seat is connected to the control processing unit 3, and predetermined information such as body shape information input through the 1 st input unit 11 is projected onto a transparent planar optical member such as a front windshield and displayed under the control of the control processing unit 3. The HUD8 is composed of a known conventional unit, and is disclosed in, for example, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2015-161965, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2019-166886, and the like.

The audio device 9 is an acoustic device connected to the control processing unit 3 and controlled by the control processing unit 3. In the present embodiment, the audio device 9 includes a plurality of speakers, and by adjusting the output timings, the volumes, and the like of the plurality of speakers, it is possible to make an occupant (listener) sound like a sound generated at a different location (position). Such an audio device 9 can make the occupant hear a musical composition played by a plurality of sound sources such as a drum, an electric guitar, an acoustic piano, or a musical composition played by a plurality of sound sources of different musical instruments such as a band, or the like, in such a manner that sounds of the respective sound sources are generated from the arrangement positions of the respective sound sources. Such an audio device 9 is constituted by a well-known conventional unit, and is disclosed in, for example, japanese patent application laid-open publication No. 2006-67218, japanese patent application laid-open publication No. 2019-80188, and the like. The audio device 9 adjusts the output timings, the sound volumes, and the like according to the ear positions of the occupants obtained from the eye heights in accordance with the control of the control processing unit 3, so that the occupants can hear the musical composition appropriately according to the body shape of the occupants, and can be given an immersive feeling and a realistic feeling.

The storage unit 4 is a circuit connected to the control processing unit 3, and stores various predetermined programs and various predetermined data in accordance with the control of the control processing unit 3. The various predetermined programs include, for example, a control processing program, and the control processing program includes, for example: control programs for controlling the respective units 1, 2, 4 to 9 of the driving posture setting seat control device D according to the functions of the units; the seat driving unit 5 is controlled so that the posture of the vehicle seat ST becomes a posture control program in the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the posture range information extracted as described above, by extracting posture range information described below, which corresponds to the body type information input to the 1 ST input unit 11, from the body type posture range correspondence information stored in the correspondence information storage unit 41 described below; a storage processing program for reading and writing predetermined information from and to the storage unit 4 in accordance with an operation of the input unit 1; and an eye height processing program for obtaining the eye height of the occupant by processing the predetermined data acquired by the eye height data acquisition unit 21. The various predetermined data include data necessary for executing the respective programs, such as body type posture range correspondence information, seat posture information indicating the posture of the vehicle seat ST, and the like. The storage unit 4 includes, for example, a nonvolatile memory element ROM (Read Only Memory), a rewritable nonvolatile memory element EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), and the like. The storage unit 4 includes a work memory RAM (Random Access Memory), which is a so-called control processing unit 3, for storing data and the like generated during execution of the predetermined program. The storage unit 4 is functionally provided with a correspondence information storage unit 41 and an individual posture information storage unit 42.

The correspondence information storage unit 41 stores body type posture range correspondence information in which body type information and posture range information are correlated with each other. The posture range information is information indicating a posture range of the vehicle seat ST corresponding to the driving posture range. In the present embodiment, the posture range of the vehicle seat ST is a crotch point position range, and the crotch point position range is set based on the ankle angle and the knee angle of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat ST.

Such a position range of the crotch point for achieving an appropriate driving posture is disclosed in, for example, japanese patent application laid-open No. 2019-38320.

In order to achieve an appropriate driving posture, the ankle angle a, the knee angle B, and the hip angle C of the occupant OC when viewed from the vehicle width direction have appropriate ranges, respectively. In a state where only the foot is placed on the accelerator pedal without pressing the accelerator pedal (a state where the accelerator opening is zero), the ankle angle a is suitably in the range of, for example, 90 ° to 100 °. A suitable range of the knee angle B is, for example, 119 ° to 132 °. A suitable range of the hip angle C is, for example, 90 ° to 110 °. An appropriate driving posture can be achieved in the driving posture range indicated by each of these ranges.

In the case where the inclination of the seat surface is fixed, as shown in fig. 5, the ankle angle a and the knee angle B of the occupant OC are determined based on the heel point HE, the knee point KN, and the crotch point HI. The heel point HE is determined as a point according to the body type of the occupant OC and the position of the accelerator pedal. The accelerator pedal is fixed at a predetermined position in accordance with the vehicle (vehicle type) using the driving posture setting seat control device D, and therefore the heel point HE is determined as a point in accordance with only the body type of the occupant OC. The crotch point HI is determined according to the body type of the occupant OC and the position of the seat cushion SC. The knee point KN is determined from the heel point HE and the crotch point HI. Thus, when the body shape of the occupant OC is determined, the seat cushion SC is positioned by the slide mechanism 52 and the lift mechanism 53, whereby the heel point HE, the knee point KN, and the crotch point HI are all determined, whereby the ankle angle a and the knee angle B are determined.

In the case where the inclination of the seat surface is fixed, as shown in fig. 5, the hip angle C is determined according to the inclination of the upper body of the occupant OC, and therefore the hip angle C is determined by positioning the seat cushion SC based on the slide mechanism 52 and the lift mechanism 53, and determining the inclination of the seat back SB based on the back inclination adjustment mechanism 51.

In the present embodiment, the body shape of the occupant OC is represented by the height as described above, and the length from the crotch point HI to the head side (seat height) and the length from the crotch point HI to the foot side (leg length) in the body are determined by distributing the height in a predetermined ratio. The predetermined ratio is obtained in advance from, for example, a standard body shape of a resident of a sales place of the vehicle using the driving posture setting seat control device D.

In the case where the inclination of the seat surface is fixed, as described above, the position range R1 of the crotch point HI for achieving the proper driving posture is a range in which the ankle angle a and the knee angle B are within each of the above-described proper ranges. Here, the ankle angle a is appropriately set to 1 st ankle angle A1 to 2 nd ankle angle A2 (90 ° to 100 ° in the above example), and the knee angle B is appropriately set to 1 st knee angle B1 to 2 nd knee angle B2 (119 ° to 132 ° in the above example). As shown in fig. 6, the crotch point HI in the case where the ankle angle a is the 1 st ankle angle A1 and the knee angle B is the 1 st knee angle B1 is the 1 st point X1. The crotch point HI in the case where the ankle angle a is the 1 st ankle angle A1 and the knee angle B is the 2 nd knee angle B2 is the 2 nd point X2. The crotch point HI in the case where the ankle angle a is the 2 nd ankle angle A2 and the knee angle B is the 1 st knee angle B1 is the 3 rd point X3. The crotch point HI in the case where the ankle angle a is the 2 nd ankle angle A2 and the knee angle B is the 2 nd knee angle B2 is the 4 th point X4. In the case where the heel point HE is fixed at 1 point, in the case where the ankle angle a is in an appropriate range of 1 st ankle angle A1 to 2 nd ankle angle A2 and the knee angle B is in an appropriate range of 1 st knee angle B1 to 2 nd knee angle B2, as shown in fig. 6, the crotch point HI exists in a range R1 surrounded by 1 st point X1, 2 nd point X2, 3 rd point X3, and 4 th point X4. Thus, the range R1 is a position range R1 of the crotch point HI for achieving an appropriate driving posture.

In the outline of the position range R1 of the crotch point HI for achieving an appropriate driving posture, the line connecting the 1 st point X1 and the 2 nd point X2 and the line connecting the 3 rd point X3 and the 4 th point X4 are strictly speaking circular arcs centered on the knee point KN, and the line connecting the 1 st point X1 and the 3 rd point X3 and the line connecting the 2 nd point X2 and the 4 th point X4 are circular arcs centered on the rotation axis (near the heel point HE) on the lower side of the lower leg. Here, since the range is within a range that can be linearly approximated, a range surrounded by a line segment connecting the 1 st point X1 and the 2 nd point X2, a line segment connecting the 2 nd point X2 and the 4 th point X4, a line segment connecting the 4 th point X4 and the 3 rd point X3, and a line segment connecting the 3 rd point X3 and the 1 st point X1 is set as the position range R1 of the crotch point HI for realizing an appropriate driving posture.

Such a positional range R1 of the crotch point HI for achieving an appropriate driving posture changes when the inclination of the seat surface changes. Therefore, the position range R1 of the crotch point HI is set for each of the plurality of inclinations at a predetermined angular interval within the inclination range in which the seat surface can be changed.

In addition, the position range R1 of the crotch point HI for achieving an appropriate driving posture may be widened and narrowed depending on the vehicle type, body shape, and the like, and may be 1 point or may be absent.

The posture range information indicating the position range R1 of the crotch point HI, which is the posture range of the vehicle seat ST, is associated with the height, which is the build information, and is stored in advance in the association information storage unit 41 as the body type posture range association information. More specifically, the posture range information may be represented by a coordinate value indicating a position range R1 of the crotch point HI in the coordinates set in the vehicle seat ST, but in the present embodiment, the range of the driving amount of the backrest reclining mechanism 51 (the movable range of the inclination, the backrest reclining range), the range of the driving amount of the slide mechanism 52 (the movable range of the front-rear position, the slide range), the range of the driving amount of the lift mechanism 53 (the movable range of the up-down position, the lift range), and the range of the driving amount of the tilt mechanism 54 (the movable range of the inclination, the tilt range) in the position range R1 of the crotch point HI. The respective driving amounts of the backrest reclining mechanism 51, the slide mechanism 52, the lifting mechanism 53, and the reclining mechanism 54 are shown with reference to one boundary value (upper limit value or lower limit value) in each movable range. In the present embodiment, the body type posture range correspondence information is stored in a table form in the correspondence information storage unit 41.

For example, as shown in fig. 4, the body type posture range correspondence information table 411 in which the body type posture range correspondence information is registered includes a body type information field 4111 in which body type information is registered and a posture range information field 4112 in which posture range information corresponding to the body type information registered in the body type information field 4111 is registered, and has a record for each body type information. In the present embodiment, the height is registered in the body type information field 4111, and the backrest inclination adjustment range, the sliding range, the lifting range, and the inclination range are registered in the posture range information field 4112. Accordingly, the posture range information field 4112 includes a backrest inclination adjustment range information subfield 41121 that registers the backrest inclination adjustment range of the backrest inclination adjustment mechanism 51, a slide range information subfield 41122 that registers the slide range of the slide mechanism 52, an elevation range information subfield 41123 that registers the elevation range of the elevation mechanism 53, and an inclination range information subfield 41124 that registers the inclination range of the inclination mechanism 54.

The individual posture information storage unit 42 stores seat posture information indicating the posture of the vehicle seat ST. In the present embodiment, the individual posture information storage section 42 is provided with a 1 st storage area for storing the seat posture information when the 1 st selection switch 132-1 is operated and a 2 nd storage area for storing the seat posture information when the 2 nd selection switch 132-1 is operated, in order to store the two seat posture information, corresponding to the case where the 3 rd input section 13 is provided with the two selection switches, i.e., the 1 st selection switch 132-1 and the 2 nd selection switch 132-2. The seat posture information may be represented by the inclination angle of the seat back SB, the front-rear position, the up-down position (height) and the inclination angle of the seat surface of the seat cushion SC, but in the present embodiment, the drive amount of the back inclination adjustment mechanism 51, the drive amount of the slide mechanism 52, the drive amount of the lifting mechanism 53 and the drive amount of the inclination mechanism 54 are represented from the same point of view as the posture range information.

The control processing unit 3 is a circuit including: the respective units 1, 2, 4 to 9 of the driving posture setting seat control device D are individually controlled in accordance with the functions of the units, and the posture of the vehicle seat ST is controlled so that an appropriate driving posture can be achieved. The control processing unit 3 is configured to include CPU (Central Processing Unit) and peripheral circuits thereof, for example. The control processing unit 3 functionally constitutes the control unit 31, the posture control unit 32, the storage processing unit 33, and the eye height processing unit 34 (22) by executing the control processing program.

The control unit 31 controls the respective units 1, 2, 4 to 9 of the driving posture setting seat control device D according to the functions of the respective units, and takes charge of the control of the entire driving posture setting seat control device D.

As described above, the eye level processing unit 34 (22) obtains the eye level of the occupant by processing the predetermined data acquired by the eye level data acquisition unit 21.

The posture control unit 32 controls the seat driving unit 5 to move the posture of the vehicle seat ST and adjust (control) the posture of the vehicle seat ST.

In the automatic adjustment of the posture of the vehicle seat ST, the posture control unit 32 extracts posture range information corresponding to the body type information input to the 1 ST input unit 11 from the body type posture range correspondence information table 411 stored in the correspondence information storage unit 41, and controls the seat driving unit 5 so that the posture of the vehicle seat ST falls within the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the extracted posture range information. In the present embodiment, the posture control unit 32 determines the posture of the specific vehicle seat ST within the posture range of the vehicle seat ST based on the eye height measured by the measuring unit 2, and controls the seat driving unit 5 so that the posture of the vehicle seat ST becomes the determined posture of the vehicle seat ST. When an instruction to manually adjust the posture of the vehicle seat ST is input to the 2 nd input unit 12, the posture control unit 32 controls the seat driving unit 5 so that the posture of the vehicle seat ST is set to the posture of the vehicle seat ST corresponding to the instruction within the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the extracted posture range information.

In the manual adjustment of the posture of the vehicle seat ST, as shown in fig. 2A, when the SB switch 121 is tilted forward, the posture control unit 32 controls the backrest tilt adjustment mechanism 51 so as to tilt the seatback SB forward while the SB switch 121 is tilted forward, gradually reduces the inclination of the seatback SB, and when the SB switch 121 is restored (returns to the original neutral position), the posture control unit 32 stops the backrest tilt adjustment mechanism 51. The seat back SB maintains its posture at this inclination. On the other hand, when the SB switch 121 is tilted rearward, the posture control unit 32 controls the backrest tilt adjustment mechanism 51 so that the seatback SB is tilted rearward and the inclination of the seatback SB is gradually increased while the SB switch 121 is tilted rearward, and when the SB switch 121 is restored, the posture control unit 32 stops the backrest tilt adjustment mechanism 51. The seat back SB maintains its posture at this inclination. As shown in fig. 2A, when the SC switch 122 is moved forward, the posture control unit 32 controls the slide mechanism 52 so that the seat cushion SC gradually moves forward while the SC switch 122 is positioned forward. When the SC switch 122 is restored (when returned to the original neutral position), the posture control unit 32 stops the slide mechanism 52. The seat cushion SC maintains its posture in this front-rear position. On the other hand, when the SC switch 122 is moved rearward, the posture control unit 32 controls the slide mechanism 52 so that the seat cushion SC gradually moves rearward while the SC switch 122 is positioned rearward. When SC switch 122 is restored, gesture control unit 32 stops slide mechanism 52. The seat cushion SC maintains its posture in this front-rear position. As shown in fig. 2A, when the rear end of the SC switch 122 is tilted upward, the posture control unit 32 controls the lifting mechanism 53 so that the seat cushion SC gradually rises while the SC switch 122 is being tilted upward, and when the SC switch 122 is restored (when returning to the original neutral position), the posture control unit 32 stops the lifting mechanism 53. The seat cushion SC maintains its posture in this up-down position (height). On the other hand, when the rear end of the SC switch 122 is inclined downward, the posture control unit 32 controls the elevating mechanism 53 so that the seat cushion SC gradually descends while the SC switch 122 is inclined downward, and when the SC switch 122 is restored, the posture control unit 32 stops the elevating mechanism 53. The seat cushion SC maintains its posture in this up-down position. As shown in fig. 2A, when the front end of the SC switch 122 is tilted upward, the posture control unit 32 controls the tilting mechanism 54 so that the front end of the seat cushion SC gradually rises while the SC switch 122 is being tilted upward, and when the SC switch 122 is restored (when returning to the original neutral position), the posture control unit 32 stops the tilting mechanism 54. The seat cushion SC maintains its posture with the inclination of the seat surface. On the other hand, when the front end of the SC switch 122 is tilted downward, the posture control unit 32 controls the tilting mechanism 54 so that the front end of the seat cushion SC gradually descends while the SC switch 122 is tilted downward, and when the SC switch 122 is restored, the posture control unit 32 stops the tilting mechanism 54. The seat cushion SC maintains its posture with the inclination of the seat surface.

In the normal manual adjustment, the posture of the vehicle seat ST can be adjusted throughout the entire movable ranges of the backrest reclining mechanism 51, the slide mechanism 52, the lifter mechanism 53, and the reclining mechanism 54 by the respective operations of the SB switch 121 and the SC switch 122. On the other hand, in the manual adjustment after the automatic adjustment, the posture of the vehicle seat ST can be adjusted within the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the extracted posture range information (that is, the posture of the vehicle seat ST cannot be adjusted beyond the lower limit value and the upper limit value of the posture range, and the posture of the vehicle seat ST is restricted by the lower limit value or the upper limit value of the posture range) as described above by the respective operations of the SB switch 121 and the SC switch 122.

The storage processing unit 33 reads and writes predetermined information from and to the storage unit 4 in response to an operation of the input unit 1. More specifically, the storage processing unit 33 stores the current posture of the vehicle seat ST in the individual posture information storage unit 42 of the storage unit 4 in response to the operation of the 3 rd input unit 13. When the 1 ST selection switch 132-1 is operated, the storage processing unit 33 accepts (prepares) the 1 ST storage area of the individual posture information storage unit 42 as a storage area for storing the posture of the vehicle seat ST, and then when the SET switch 131 is operated, the storage processing unit 33 stores the seat posture information indicating the current posture of the vehicle seat ST in the 1 ST storage area of the individual posture information storage unit 42. When the 2 nd selection switch 132-2 is operated, the storage processing unit 33 accepts the 2 nd storage area of the individual posture information storage unit 42 as a storage area storing the posture of the vehicle seat ST, and then when the SET switch 131 is operated, the storage processing unit 33 stores the seat posture information indicating the current posture of the vehicle seat ST in the 2 nd storage area of the individual posture information storage unit 42.

In the present embodiment, the 1 ST selector switch 132-1 and the 2 nd selector switch 132-2 also function as switches for reading the seat posture information stored in the individual posture information storage unit 42 and moving the posture of the vehicle seat ST. In this case, the operations of the 1 st selection switch 132-1 and the 2 nd selection switch 132-2 at the time of reading are different from the operations of the 1 st selection switch 132-1 and the 2 nd selection switch 132-2 at the time of storing described above. For example, the 1 st selection switch 132-1 and the 2 nd selection switch 132-2 are operated by being pressed only 1 time during the storage, and the 1 st selection switch 132-1 and the 2 nd selection switch 132-2 are operated by being pressed twice in succession during the readout. When the 1 ST selector switch 132-1 is pressed twice in succession, the storage processing unit 33 reads the seat posture information stored in the 1 ST storage area of the individual posture information storage unit 42, and the posture control unit 32 controls the seat driving unit 5 so that the posture of the vehicle seat ST becomes the posture of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the read seat posture information. Similarly, when the 2 nd selector switch 132-2 is pressed twice in succession, the storage processing unit 33 reads the seat posture information stored in the 2 nd storage area of the individual posture information storage unit 42, and the posture control unit 32 controls the seat driving unit 5 so that the posture of the vehicle seat ST becomes the posture of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the read seat posture information. The above-described case is a case of both applications, but a dedicated switch may be provided separately to read the seat posture information stored in the individual posture information storage unit 42 and move the posture of the vehicle seat ST.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the seat control device for setting the driving posture related to the posture control of the vehicle seat.

The seat control device D for setting the driving posture is configured to perform initialization of each necessary portion when the vehicle starts to operate, and to start the operation. By executing the control processing program, the control unit 31, the posture control unit 32, the storage processing unit 33, and the eye height processing unit 34 (22) are functionally configured in the control processing unit 3. Then, for example, in response to an operation of a switch (not shown) for inputting an instruction to start the operation of the vehicle or to start the automatic adjustment of the driving posture, the following operation related to the posture control of the vehicle seat is started, and the occupant sits on the vehicle seat ST and inputs his or her height as body shape information from the 1 ST input unit 11 of the input unit 1.

In fig. 7, the driving posture setting seat control device D acquires the height as the body shape information input to the 1 st input unit 11 through the control processing unit 3 (S1).

Next, the driving posture setting seat control device D extracts posture range information corresponding to the body type information input to the 1 st input unit 11 from the body type posture range correspondence information stored in the correspondence information storage unit 41 by the posture control unit 32 of the control processing unit 3 (S2). More specifically, in the present embodiment, the posture control unit 32 refers to the body type information field 4111 of the body type posture range correspondence information table 411 stored in the correspondence information storage unit 41, selects (searches) a record of the body type information field 4111 in which the height input to the 1 st input unit 11 is registered, and extracts the backrest inclination adjustment range, the sliding range, the lifting range, and the tilting range registered in the backrest inclination adjustment range information subfield 41121, the sliding range information subfield 41122, the lifting range information subfield 41123, and the tilting range information subfield 41124 of the posture range information field 4112 in the selected record.

Next, the driving posture setting seat control device D temporarily sets the posture of the vehicle seat ST in each of the backrest reclining range, the sliding range, the lifting range, and the reclining range extracted by the processing S2 by the posture control unit 32 (S3). For example, the posture control unit 32 temporarily sets the posture of the vehicle seat ST in accordance with the respective central values of the backrest reclining range, the slide range, the lift range, and the tilt range. In the present embodiment, the posture control unit 32 only temporarily sets the posture of the vehicle seat ST without moving the posture of the vehicle seat ST by the seat driving unit 5, but may move the posture of the vehicle seat ST to the temporarily set posture of the vehicle seat ST by the seat driving unit 5.

Next, the driving posture setting seat control device D measures the eye height of the occupant by the measuring unit 2 (S4).

Next, the driving posture setting seat control device D sets the posture of the temporarily set vehicle seat ST to the posture of the specific vehicle seat ST by the posture control unit 32 (S5). More specifically, the posture control unit 32 corrects the posture of the vehicle seat ST temporarily set in the process S3 in each of the backrest reclining range, the sliding range, the lifting range, and the reclining range (in the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the posture range information extracted in the process S2) extracted in the process S2 based on the eye height measured in the measuring unit 2, and thereby determines the posture of the specific vehicle seat ST in the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the posture range information extracted in the process S2 (S5).

For example, first, the seat height and the leg length (assumed leg length) in the case where the body shape of the occupant is assumed to be the standard body shape are obtained from the ratio in the case where the height and the standard body shape are input to the 1 st input unit 11. Next, the seat height of the occupant is obtained from the eye height measured by the measuring unit 2, and the actual leg length (actual leg length) of the occupant is obtained from the obtained seat height and the height inputted to the 1 st input unit 11. Then, when the actual leg length is shorter than the assumed leg length, the posture of the temporarily set vehicle seat ST is corrected to a posture shifted in the direction of the lower height by, for example, the 1 ST prescribed value, in each of the backrest reclining range, the sliding range, the lifting range, and the reclining range (in the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the posture range information extracted by the processing S2), and when the actual leg length is longer than the assumed leg length, the posture of the temporarily set vehicle seat ST is corrected to a posture shifted in the direction of the higher height by, for example, the 2 nd prescribed value, in each of the ranges. The posture in the direction in which the height is low is a posture in which the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the posture range information extracted by the processing S2 overlaps with the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the posture range information corresponding to the height lower than the height input to the 1 ST input unit 11. The posture in the direction in which the height is high is a posture in which the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the posture range information extracted by the process S2 overlaps with the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the posture range information corresponding to the height higher than the height input to the 1 ST input unit 11. The 1 st and 2 nd predetermined values may be the same value, may be different values, or may be set based on a difference between the actual leg length and the assumed leg length.

Next, the driving posture setting seat control device D controls the seat driving unit 5 by the posture control unit 32 so that the posture of the vehicle seat ST becomes the posture of the specific vehicle seat ST set by the process S5 (S6). Thus, the vehicle seat ST assumes a posture of the vehicle seat ST in which an appropriate driving posture according to a seated occupant can be achieved.

Next, the driving posture setting seat control device D performs a process of manually adjusting the posture of the vehicle seat ST by the control processing unit 3 (S7), and ends the process. In this process S7, the posture of the vehicle seat ST is adjusted within the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the posture range information extracted in the process S2. That is, the inclination of the seatback SB based on the operation of the SB switch 121 is limited to the backrest inclination adjustment range extracted by the process S2, the front-rear position of the seat cushion SC based on the operation of the SC switch 122 is limited to the slide range extracted by the process S2, the up-down position of the seat cushion SC based on the operation of the SC switch 122 is limited to the lift range extracted by the process S2, and the inclination of the seat surface of the seat cushion SC based on the operation of the SC switch 122 is limited to the inclination range extracted by the process S2. More specifically, for example, after the control processing unit 3 executes the processing S6, it determines whether or not the operation of the 2 nd input unit 12 is performed within a predetermined time period, and as a result of the determination, if the operation of the 2 nd input unit 12 is not performed within the predetermined time period, it ends the processing S7 (that is, it ends the present processing), and as a result of the determination, if the operation of the 2 nd input unit 12 is performed within the predetermined time period, the control processing unit 3 controls the seat driving unit 5 under the restriction according to the operation of the 2 nd input unit 12 by the posture control unit 32, and after the control ends, it determines whether or not the operation of the 2 nd input unit 12 is performed within the predetermined time period, and the processing is performed in the same manner as below.

The occupant operates the 3 rd input portion 13 as needed. For example, the occupant operates the SET switch 131 after operating the 1 st selection switch 132-1. When the 1 ST selection switch 132-1 is operated, the storage processing unit 33 accepts the 1 ST storage area of the individual posture information storage unit 42 as a storage area for storing the posture of the vehicle seat ST, and then when the SET switch 131 is operated, the storage processing unit 33 stores the seat posture information indicating the current posture of the vehicle seat ST in the 1 ST storage area of the individual posture information storage unit 42. Thus, the posture of the vehicle seat ST, which is adapted to the driving posture of the occupant, is stored in the individual posture information storage unit 42. When the occupant rides on the vehicle seat, the posture of the vehicle seat ST that is appropriate for the driving posture of the occupant can be reproduced.

As described above, the driving posture setting seat control device D and the driving posture setting seat control method mounted therein in the present embodiment store body type posture range correspondence information in advance, extract posture range information corresponding to the body type information input to the 1 ST input unit 11 from the body type posture range correspondence information, and control the seat driving unit 5 that moves the posture of the vehicle seat ST so that the posture of the vehicle seat ST falls within the posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the extracted posture range information, and thus can automatically realize an appropriate driving posture according to the body type of the occupant.

The seat height and leg length vary from person to person, and the driving posture depends on the seat height and leg length. The driving posture setting seat control device D and the driving posture setting seat control method described above measure the eye height and determine the posture of a specific vehicle seat ST within the posture range of the vehicle seat ST based on the measured eye height, so that it is possible to realize a driving posture corresponding to the seat height and leg length of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat ST.

According to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide the driving posture setting seat control device D and the driving posture setting seat control method in which the posture range of the vehicle seat ST is defined in the position range R1 of the crotch point HI.

The driving posture setting seat control device D and the driving posture setting seat control method described above are configured to control the seat driving unit 5 so that the posture of the vehicle seat ST becomes the posture of the vehicle seat ST corresponding to the instruction within the posture range of the vehicle seat ST indicated by the extracted posture range information when the instruction to manually adjust the posture of the vehicle seat ST is input to the 2 nd input unit 12, and therefore, after the posture of the vehicle seat ST is automatically adjusted to the proper driving posture, the posture of the vehicle seat ST can be maintained to the proper driving posture even when the posture of the vehicle seat ST is manually adjusted by the occupant.

The present specification discloses various techniques as described above, but the main techniques thereof are summarized as follows.

A seat control device for setting a driving posture in one embodiment is provided with: a vehicle seat for a vehicle; a correspondence information storage unit that stores body type posture range correspondence information in which body type information indicating a body type and posture range information indicating a posture range of the vehicle seat corresponding to a driving posture range are associated with each other; a seat driving unit that moves the posture of the vehicle seat; an input unit for inputting the body type information; and a posture control unit that extracts posture range information corresponding to the body type information input to the input unit from the body type posture range correspondence information stored in the correspondence information storage unit, and controls the seat driving unit so that the posture of the vehicle seat is within the posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the extracted posture range information. In the driving posture setting seat control device, the vehicle seat preferably includes: a seat cushion on which an occupant sits; a seat back of the occupant back; a backrest inclination adjusting mechanism for adjusting the inclination of the backrest; a sliding mechanism for adjusting the position of the seat cushion in the front-rear direction; a lifting mechanism for adjusting the position (height) of the seat cushion in the up-down direction; and a reclining mechanism that adjusts an inclination of a seat surface of the seat cushion, wherein the seat driving unit moves at least one of the backrest reclining mechanism, the slide mechanism, the lifting mechanism, and the reclining mechanism in order to move a posture of the vehicle seat.

The driving posture setting seat control device is configured to store body type posture range correspondence information in advance, extract posture range information corresponding to the body type information input to the input unit from the body type posture range correspondence information, and control the seat driving unit that moves the posture of the vehicle seat so that the posture of the vehicle seat is within the posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the extracted posture range information, so that an appropriate driving posture can be automatically achieved according to the body type of the occupant.

According to another aspect, the driving posture setting seat control device further includes a measurement unit that measures an eye height of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat, and the posture control unit determines a posture of a specific vehicle seat within a posture range of the vehicle seat based on the eye height measured by the measurement unit, and controls the seat driving unit so that the posture of the vehicle seat becomes the determined posture of the vehicle seat.

The seat height and leg length vary from person to person, and the driving posture depends on the seat height and leg length. The driving posture setting seat control device measures the eye height, and determines the posture of a specific vehicle seat within the posture range of the vehicle seat based on the measured eye height, so that it is possible to realize the driving posture corresponding to the seat height and the leg length of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat.

According to another aspect, in the driving posture setting seat control apparatuses, the posture range of the vehicle seat is a crotch point position range, and the crotch point position range is set based on an ankle angle and a knee angle of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat.

Accordingly, the driving posture setting seat control device can be provided in which the posture range of the vehicle seat is defined in the position range of the crotch point.

In another aspect, the driving posture setting seat control apparatus further includes a 2 nd input unit that inputs an instruction to move the posture of the vehicle seat, and the posture control unit controls the seat driving unit so that the posture of the vehicle seat becomes the posture of the vehicle seat corresponding to the instruction within the posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the extracted posture range information when the instruction is input to the 2 nd input unit.

In this driving posture setting seat control device, when an instruction is input to the 2 nd input unit, the seat driving unit is controlled so that the posture of the vehicle seat is set to the posture of the vehicle seat corresponding to the instruction within the posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the extracted posture range information, and therefore, after the posture of the vehicle seat is automatically adjusted to an appropriate driving posture, the posture of the vehicle seat can be maintained to an appropriate driving posture even when the occupant manually adjusts the posture of the vehicle seat.

Another method for controlling a driving posture setting seat includes: an input step of inputting body type information indicating a body type; an extraction step of extracting posture range information corresponding to the posture information input in the input step from posture range correspondence information in which the posture information and posture range information indicating a posture range of the vehicle seat corresponding to the driving posture range are correlated with each other; and a posture control step of controlling the posture of the vehicle seat so that the posture of the vehicle seat is within the posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the posture range information extracted in the extraction step.

In this driving posture setting seat control method, posture range information corresponding to the body type information input in the input step is extracted from the body type posture range correspondence information, and the posture of the vehicle seat is controlled so that the posture of the vehicle seat is within the posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the extracted posture range information, so that an appropriate driving posture can be automatically achieved according to the body type of the occupant.

The present application is based on Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2020-66117 filed on 1 month 4 in 2020, the contents of which are included in the present application.

In order to represent the present invention, the present invention has been described in the foregoing description with reference to the drawings in an embodiment mode, but it should be recognized that the foregoing embodiment mode can be easily modified and/or improved by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, any modification or improvement made by those skilled in the art should be construed as being included in the scope of the claims as long as the modification or improvement does not depart from the scope of the claims as recited in the claims.

Industrial applicability

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a driving posture setting seat control device and a driving posture setting seat control method that control the posture of a vehicle seat.

Claims

1. A seat control device for setting a driving posture is provided with:

a vehicle seat for a vehicle;

a correspondence information storage unit that stores body type posture range correspondence information in which body type information indicating a body type and posture range information indicating a posture range of the vehicle seat corresponding to a driving posture range are associated with each other;

a seat driving unit that moves the posture of the vehicle seat;

an input unit for inputting the body type information; and

A posture control unit that extracts posture range information corresponding to the body type information input to the input unit from the body type posture range correspondence information stored in the correspondence information storage unit, and controls the seat driving unit so that the posture of the vehicle seat is within the posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the extracted posture range information;

the posture range of the vehicle seat is a crotch point position range,

the position range of the crotch point is set based on the ankle angle and the knee angle of the occupant seated in the vehicle seat.

2. The driving posture setting seat control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein,

further comprising a measuring unit for measuring the eye height of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat,

the posture control unit determines a posture of a specific vehicle seat within a posture range of the vehicle seat based on the eye height measured by the measuring unit, and controls the seat driving unit so that the determined posture of the vehicle seat becomes a posture of the vehicle seat.

3. The driving posture setting seat control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein,

Further comprises a 2 nd input unit for inputting an instruction to move the posture of the vehicle seat,

the posture control unit controls the seat driving unit so that the posture of the vehicle seat becomes the posture of the vehicle seat corresponding to the instruction within the posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the extracted posture range information when the instruction is input to the 2 nd input unit.

4. A seat control method for setting a driving posture includes:

an input step of inputting body type information indicating a body type;

an extraction step of extracting posture range information corresponding to the posture information input in the input step from posture range correspondence information in which the posture information and posture range information indicating a posture range of the vehicle seat corresponding to the driving posture range are correlated with each other; and

a posture control step of controlling a posture of the vehicle seat so that the posture of the vehicle seat falls within a posture range of the vehicle seat indicated by the posture range information extracted in the extraction step;

the posture range of the vehicle seat is a crotch point position range,